There is little sympathy for Amir and Pakistan in the England dressing room, with Stuart Broad this week detailing how he was still bitter that his sole Test century in the 2010 Lord's Test had been overshadowed by the spot-fixing scandal.

"Of course it annoys me that that game will always be connected with what went on. Lord's is the home of cricket. It's a wonderful place to play and that Test match will always be remembered for the wrong reasons," Broad told the Mail on Sunday.

"It was my best-ever innings, my only Test century and coming in tough circumstances as well. It was a good battle and I'll never forget the feeling I got running through for that hundred.

"From what we know, the three Pakistan players weren't actually fixing the game as a whole — a no-ball doesn't affect if I hit a four or not — so I can still look back with a lot of pride on scoring that hundred. But of course it was tarnished by what happened."

Broad and Cook have both said they believe anyone convicted of any fixing should be handed an automatic life ban, but both have also said they have no issue with Amir playing in the forthcoming series.

"Whether I agreed or disagreed with the punishment, he got it, served his time and he is absolutely right to come back," Cook said.

"You'd have to speak to him. What he did wasn't good but he served his punishment then. The ICC haven't made any big statements, but if I was in charge, if you got caught once that would be it — one strike and you're out."

Media attention surrounding Amir's return "to the scene of the crime" has been high, with the fast bowler's every move watched and name mentioned in every press conference.

But for Cook and the England team, the machinations of the Fleet Street machine and intense spotlight it brings are nothing new.

"Whatever Test match you are playing in, there is always something off the field, whether it is political or something like this," Cook said.

"It won't affect us as a side. We will concentrate on what we can concentrate on."

The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Cricket Australia.